CA’s 13th Congressional ‘Debate at the State’ | Teatro Espejo’s 50th Anniversary | Inaugural Sacramento Poetry Week

Insight With Vicki Gonzalez

Previewing the debate for California’s 13th Congressional District. Sacramento’s Teatro Espejo celebrates 50 years of performance with “The Language of Flowers.” Finally, the first-ever Sacramento Poetry Week runs from Oct. 20-26.

CA’s 13th Congressional ‘Debate at the State’

California is home to a handful of bellwether Congressional districts that could determine control of the House of Representatives in November. Three of them are in the Central Valley, including California’s 13th District. On Oct. 25 the two candidates for the seat - incumbent Republican Rep. John Duarte and Democratic challenger Adam Gray - will face off in a debate at the State Theatre in Modesto, sponsored by the nonprofit Central Valley Journalism Collaborative. CVJC Executive Editor Joe Kieta and moderator Victor Patton, Editor-in-Chief of the Merced Focus join Insight to preview the “Debate at the State,” as well as the major issues that voters are considering when picking their representative.

CapRadio is a partner of the Central Valley Journalism Collaborative.

Teatro Espejo’s 50th Anniversary

For half a century, Teatro Espejo has been at the heart of Sacramento’s Chicano and Latino theater scene, sharing stories that often go untold. As the company kicks off its 50th anniversary, they are presenting "The Language of Flowers," a Chicano adaptation of "Romeo and Juliet" by Edit Villarreal. Artistic Director Manuel José Pickett and Nicole Limón, Associate Artistic Director of Teatro Espejo, and founder of Matriarchy Theatre from Teatro Espejo, to talk about the significance of this production and the company’s long legacy in Sacramento. Additionally, actors Antonio Hernandez and Kimberly Aguilar perform a scene from "The Language of Flowers" as Romeo and Juliet.

Inaugural Sacramento Poetry Week

Sacramento Poetry Day was first declared in 1986 to honor the groundbreaking anthology “Landing Signals,” and since its revival in 2022 has celebrated the power of the spoken word. This year, the city is expanding the tradition and launching the first-ever Sacramento Poetry Week from Oct. 20-26. Sacramento Poet Laureate Andru Defeye talks about how the change came to be, how the event is celebrating multiculturalism and inclusion, and the importance of providing community support to poets.